Hydraulic transfer method and device and hydraulic-transfer article

ABSTRACT

A transfer film ( 1 ) having a print pattern is floated on a liquid surface ( 12 A) within a transfer bath and a transfer objective body ( 2 ) is immersed into a liquid ( 12 ) within the transfer bath together with the transfer film ( 1 ) whereby the print pattern on the transfer film ( 1 ) is transferred onto the surface of the transfer objective body ( 2 ) using a liquid pressure. The surface portion of the transfer objective body ( 2 ) on which the print pattern should be transferred is immersed under the liquid surface ( 12 A) while the surface portion of the transfer objective body follows the transfer film ( 1 ) so as to be developed thereon in a plane manner by rolling the surface portion of the transfer objective body ( 2 ) on the transfer film ( 1 ). The transfer surface ( 2   a ) of the transfer objective body ( 2 ) and the print pattern on the transfer film ( 1 ) are closely attached to each other as if they are adhered in a manner faced to each other with the same area and as a result, the print pattern is closely adhered all over the surface of the transfer objective body ( 2 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention pertains to a method of printing a print pattern bytransferring it on a transfer objective body having a three-dimensionalsurface such as a curved surface or the like by using a liquid pressureon an objective article (a body onto which the print pattern should betransferred) and more particularly, this invention pertains to a methodof transferring the predetermined print pattern by using the liquidpressure on the transfer objective body having a relatively largertransfer face area such as a fender, a door, a bonnet or the like of acar, for example.

Furthermore, this invention pertains to an apparatus useful forpracticing the aforementioned method and also to a liquid pressurepattern-transferred article formed by the aforementioned method.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

A so-called liquid pressure transfer method has been used for printingvarious patterns onto a transfer objective body or article having acomplicated surface configuration. Typically, this liquid pressuretransfer method is one in which a liquid-soluble pattern transfer filmhaving a predetermined print pattern of no liquid solution providedthereon is floated on a surface of a liquid flowing within a transferbath and is made swollen by the liquid and then the transfer objectivebody is immersed into the liquid within the transfer bath while itcontacts the transfer film and has the print pattern transferred fromthe transfer film by using a liquid pressure.

In a prior art, the transfer objective bodies are sequentially supportedon a plurality of holding frames which are mounted on a reverselytriangular conveyor in a spaced manner while the reversely triangularconveyor is disposed so that a conveyor portion adjacent to an undersideapex of the triangular conveyor is immersed into the liquid. Thereversely triangular conveyor conveys the transfer objective bodies sothat each of the objective bodies contacts the liquid within thetransfer bath just before or upstream of the underside apex conveyorportion going to be immersed into the liquid, is then immersed into theliquid and leaves the liquid on the opposite side or downstream of theunderside apex conveyor portion whereby the pattern-transferredobjective bodies are pulled out of the transfer bath (see U.S. Pat. No.4,436,571 specification and Japanese patent Application Publication No.13064/1991 (JP3-13064)).

According to the prior art, the transfer objective body is immersed intothe liquid with the transfer bath at a constant velocity while it isheld onto the reversely triangular conveyor with the same posemaintained. Thus, it will be noted that the condition in which thesurface of the transfer objective body contacts the transfer filmremarkably varies in accordance with variation in a three-dimensionalconfiguration of the surface of the transfer objective body.

More particularly, many transfer objective bodies have a surface varyingin a three-dimensionally complicated manner except to a plane article.If such a whole transfer objective body is immersed into the liquid bythe conveyor with the same pose maintained, the relationship ofposition-between the individual portions of the transfer objective bodybeing immersed into the liquid and the transfer film floating on thetransfer bath remarkably varies on the surface configuration or profileof the transfer objective body.

In case that the transfer objective body is small-sized, a radius ofcurvature of the surface of the transfer objective body is relativelysmaller and has a smaller area of the individual portions having thethree-dimensional surface different from each other even though thesurface configuration of the transfer objective body largely varies oris complicated whereby the three-dimensional configuration (a curvature,for example) mutually varies. Therefore, the print pattern istransferred onto such surface portions of the transfer objective bodyhaving the three-dimensional configuration different from each otherwithout having such remarkable variation in appearance as adverselyaffects the transferred pattern.

However, in case that the print pattern on the transfer film istransferred onto a relatively larger body such as a car panel includinga fender, a door, a bonnet, a bumper of a car or the like by using theliquid pressure transfer method, the radius of curvature of theindividual surface portions having the three-dimensional configurationdifferent from each other is larger and as a result, the area of theindividual surface portions gets larger. As such a transfer objectivebody is immersed into the liquid with the same pose, the print patternis transferred onto the individual surface portions on the conditionsdifferent from each other and as a result, the transferred pattern onthe whole transfer objective body is made irregular whereby theappearance of the transfer objective body tends to be deteriorated.

This tendency gets remarkable particularly in case that the surfaceportion of the transfer objective body which is just going to beimmersed into the liquid greatly protrudes toward the liquid surface ortoward the side opposite thereto. More particularly, in case that thesurface portion of the transfer objective body which is just going to beimmersed into the liquid greatly protrudes toward the liquid surface (ordent on the side opposite to the transfer film), the print pattern onthe transfer film is extended due to the protruding surface of thetransfer objective body so that the pattern is distorted (deformed) orso that the thickness or density of the ink of the print pattern islowered. Similarly, in case that the surface portion of the transferobjective body which is just going to be immersed into the liquidgreatly dents on the side opposite to the transfer film (or protrudestoward the side opposite to the transferring film), the print pattern onthe transfer film is extended due to the protruding surface of thetransfer objective body so that the pattern is distorted (deformed) orso that the thickness of the ink of the print pattern is lowered. Thus,in both of the aforementioned cases, the transfer objective body cannotdisadvantageously provide good appearance.

Generally, the transfer film has a transferring pattern painted while itextends in a uniform direction (such as in a longitudinal direction, forexample). As the printed pattern is transferred onto the transferobjective body such as a fender of a car or the like having a surfacecurved in a curved line, but not extending in a rectilinear line in alongitudinal direction while being used together with other transferobjective body or bodies such as a door of the car or the like having asurface extending in a rectilinear line in a longitudinal direction, thepatterns transferred onto these objective bodies get disunited. Thus, anarticle formed of a combination of these objective bodies has anextremely poor surface appearance.

A large-sized article such as a door panel of a car is sometimesrequired to have along an edge of a back face thereof the sametransferred pattern as that on the surface thereof in a successivemanner. Such an operation of transferring on the back face cannot beeffectively made by the prior art in which the transfer objective bodyis immersed into the liquid with the same pose.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide aliquid pressure transfer method and an apparatus therefor adapted toprovide satisfactory transfer characteristics having no deformation andno thinner color of a transferred pattern even though a transferobjective body onto has a large-sized and complicated surfaceconfiguration.

It is another object of the invention to provide a liquid pressuretransfer method and an apparatus therefor adapted to apply onto asurface of a transfer objective body a transferred pattern extending inan appropriate direction even though the transfer objective body extendsnot along a linear line in a longitudinal direction, but along acomplicated line such as a curved line.

It is another object of the invention to provide a liquid pressuretransfer method and an apparatus therefor adapted to effectively apply atransferred pattern not only onto a surface of a transfer objectivebody, but also onto a back face succeeding the surface thereof.

It is another object of the invention to provide a liquid pressuretransfer apparatus adapted to effectively apply a transferred patternonto a transfer objective body having a large-sized and complicatedconfiguration.

It is another object of the invention to provide a liquid pressurepattern-transferred article having a good appearance without making atransferred pattern unclear or without disarranging the transferredpattern relative to a direction in which the transfer objective bodyextends although it has a large sized and complicated configuration.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Firstly, this invention pertains to an improvement on a liquid pressuretransfer method of transferring a print pattern on a transfer filmfloating on a surface of a liquid within a transfer bath by immersing atransfer objective body into the liquid while it is faced to thetransfer film. This method may be of a transfer film feeding system inwhich the transfer film is fed on the surface of the liquid within thetransfer bath at a given feeding velocity or of a transfer filmstationary system in which the transfer film floats on the surface ofthe liquid within the transfer bath in a stationary manner while isplaced on the liquid surface by a batch system. Since an activator issprayed onto the transfer film on the surface of the liquid within thetransfer bath by using a sprayer or the like so as to make an ink of theprint pattern humid, the condition in which the ink on the transferredfilm is activated never varies on the area portions thereof and thus thearea where the transfer objective body is immersed into the liquid maybe set voluntarily.

A first method of the invention is to fundamentally immerse a transferobjective body into a liquid while a pose of the transfer objective bodyis controlled so that the transfer objective body contacts the surfaceof the transfer film following the transfer objective body whereby thesurface of the transfer objective body onto which a print pattern shouldbe transferred is developed on the surface of the transfer film in aplane manner relative thereto.

This can be ideally accomplished by supposing an imaginary developmentface on the transfer film within the transfer bath so as to be identicalto a face obtained by developing in a plane manner the surface of thetransfer objective body onto which the print pattern should betransferred and then immersing the transfer objective body into theliquid while the pose of the transfer objective body is so controlledthat the surface of the transfer objective body follows the surface ofthe transfer film whereby the transfer surface of the transfer objectivebody is identical to the imaginary development on the transfer film.However, since it is difficult that the transfer surface of the transferobjective body follows the surface of the transfer film in the samemanner as it does ideally, the transfer surface of the transferobjective body will practically follow the surface of the transfer filmin the almost ideal condition.

In one embodiment of the invention, this can be accomplished bysequentially rolling on the surface of the transfer film the face of thetransfer objective body onto which the print pattern should betransferred (which will be referred to as “transfer face”, “decorationface” or “design face” hereinafter) so that the transfer surface of thetransfer objective body is substantially identical to the imaginarydevelopment face on the transfer film.

Rolling the transfer objective body may be made preferably in all radialdirections of the transfer objective body, but as it tries to be made inall the radial directions, the pose of the transfer objective body whenimmersed will get complicated. Thus, in practice, rolling will be madealong a central cross section in its longitudinal direction and itstransverse direction for every large-sized surface portion of thetransfer objective body forming the surface configuration of thetransfer objective body just contacting the liquid.

A system of rolling the transfer objective body will effectively work incase that the transfer face of the transfer objective body (decorationface or design face) is only on the surface (front face) thereof, but incase that the transfer face of the transfer objective body is also on aback face, rolling will not work on this back transfer face.

Another embodiment of the invention described herein just below willeffectively work for such a back transfer face. In this embodiment, thetransfer objective body enters the liquid while it is lowered in such acondition as the surface of the transfer objective body is inclined andwith one of the edges of the transfer objective body being directedtoward the surface of the transfer film and thereafter it is immersedinto the liquid while it is lowered obliquely downward with a such apose as the transfer face of the transfer objective body contacts thetransfer film while it follows the surface of the transfer film so thatthe surface of the transfer objective body is developed on the surfaceof the transfer film in a plane manner. As one of the edges is loweredand enters the liquid together with the transfer film, a portion of thetransfer film succeeding the portion of the transfer film adhering tothe surface of the transfer objective body is drawn closer to the edgeof the back face of the transfer objective body so as to cover the edgeof the back face until the print pattern on the transfer film issuccessively transferred on the surface and back face of the transferobjective body.

Thereafter, as the transfer objective body is lowered into the liquidobliquely downward while the transfer objective body is maintained inthe inclined condition, the front transfer face of the transferobjective body enters the liquid while contacting the surface of thetransfer film as if the front transfer face is developed in a planemanner on the surface of the transfer film portion succeeding thetransfer film portion adhering to the back edge of the transferobjective body.

Thus, as the transfer objective body is developed on the transfer filmby such a transfer objective body oblique lowering system, there can beprovided the transfer objective body having a decoration facessucceeding on the front face and the back face of the transfer objectivebody.

In either of the transfer rolling system and the transfer objective bodyoblique lowering system, the transfer objective body is required toenter the liquid so that no air pocket is formed between the surface ofthe transfer objective body and the transfer film. This can beaccomplished by an operation in which the transfer objective body entersthe liquid without closing a dent possibly forming the air pocket. Thiscan prevent air from being involved in the dent.

In case that the method of the invention is of a transfer film feedingsystem in which the transfer film is successively fed into the transferbath, the transfer objective body should enter the liquid preferably ata position most suitable for transferring the print pattern with thetransfer film perfectly activated within the transfer bath and thenfully swollen by the liquid within the transfer bath. If the liquidentrance position of the transfer objective body is shifted on anupstream side in a direction of feeding the transfer film, the printpattern will be transferred in the condition in which the transfer filmis not perfectly activated and the ink of the print pattern is notswollen, which causes undesirable pattern discontinuation and wrinklesof the transferred pattern to occur.

Also, in case that the method of the invention is of a transfer filmfeeding system in which the transfer film is successively fed into thetransfer bath, the transfer objective body desirably enters the liquidso that the surface of the transfer objective body contacts the transferfilm at a velocity corresponding to the feeding velocity of the transferfilm.

However, in the invention, the liquid entrance velocity of the transferobjective body is not required to correspond to the feeding velocity ofthe transfer film in all cases, but in some cases, it may be later orearlier than the feeding velocity of the transfer film in accordancewith liquid entrance conditions such as a liquid entrance angle of thetransfer objective body or arbitrarily. Arbitrary variation in theliquid entrance velocity may be made in case that a color tone of thewhole decoration face of the transfer objective body is required to varyor the pattern is required to be adjusted, for example.

Furthermore, the transfer face portion of the transfer objective bodyideally enters the liquid while it follows the transfer film so as to bedeveloped on the transfer film in a plane manner and it is also requiredto consider that no air is involved between the transfer objective bodyand the transfer film. To this end, an angle (liquid entrance angle) ofthe surface portion of the transfer objective body just entering theliquid relative to the liquid surface may be set preferably from 10°through 170°.

If the liquid entrance angle is less than 10°, the air will be easilyinvolved while if the liquid entrance angle is more than 170°, thetransfer film will be poorly wrapped whereby the pattern discontinuationundesirably tends to occur.

The liquid entrance angle of 10° or more than to less than 90° impliesthat the transfer face portion of the transfer objective body enters theliquid while it is inclined in the same direction as the direction offeeding the transfer film, the liquid entrance angle of over 90° to 170°implies that the transfer face portion of the transfer objective bodyenters the liquid while it is inclined in the direction reverse to thedirection of feeding the transfer film and the liquid entrance angle of90° implies that the transfer face portion of the transfer objectivebody enters the liquid at a right angle relative to the liquid surface.

In case that the transfer face portion of the transfer objective bodyextends not only over the front face thereof, but also along the edge ofthe back face succeeding the front face of the transfer objective body,it is required to enter the liquid so that the transfer film is wrappedaround the transfer back face (the back edge) as already described. Alsoin this case, the liquid entrance angle should be set from 10° through170°.

As the transfer face of the transfer objective body has a dent in thecondition that the transfer objective body enters the liquid in aninclined manner at the normal entrance angle while the transfer faceincluding the dent is closed relative to the liquid surface, the airpocket will be formed between the face portion including the dent andthe transfer film. Therefore, in this case, the transfer objective bodyis required to enter the liquid while the transfer face portion isdirected upwardly relative to the liquid surface so that the transferface portion corresponding to the edge of the dent (a border portion) isnever closed. In this manner, no air remains in the dent and as aresult, the print pattern is prevented from being not adhered to thetransfer face of the transfer objective body due to the formation of theair pocket.

Preferably, the transfer objective body may have a plurality of sectionsdivided on the just entering surface portion thereof along thelongitudinal direction. There may be set each of the sections for everydifferent surface configuration such as every portion having aprotrusion on the side of the transfer film, every portion having a dentthereon or every portion having a protrusion or a dent, but havingvariation in the radius of curvature, for example. The liquid entranceconditions such as the liquid entrance pose (including the liquidentrance angle), the liquid entrance velocity and so on are set forevery section in accordance with the surface configuration of everysection.

The method of the invention may be accomplished by previously storingthe liquid entrance conditions such as a pose mode in which the transferobjective body enters the liquid so that the transfer objective bodyfollows the transfer film while the transfer face portion of thetransfer objective body is developed on the transfer film in a planemanner, a substantially constant liquid contact position where thesurface portion of the transfer objective body contacts the liquid ifnecessary (in case of the transfer film feeding system), the liquidentrance velocity, which are set for every surface portion such as thesection of the transfer objective body) just entering the liquid andconveying the transfer objective body while the liquid entrance pose andso on are controlled for every the surface portion of the transferobjective body in accordance with the previously stored data.

The pose mode when the transfer objective body enters the liquid may bepreferably set for every section and therefore transfer objective bodyconveyance control means stores the pose mode different for everysection and controls the conveyance pose of the transfer objective bodybased on the pose mode set for every section just entering the liquidwithin the transfer bath.

Secondly, this invention pertains to a liquid pressure transferapparatus comprising a transfer bath to float a transfer film having apredetermined print pattern and transfer the print pattern on a transferobjective body while a liquid pressure is applied to the transferobjective body and transfer objective conveyance means to convey thetransfer objective body so that the surface portions of the transferobjective body sequentially enter the liquid in a manner faced to thetransfer film within the transfer bath whereby the print pattern on thetransfer film is transferred onto the transfer objective body using theliquid pressure and then move the pattern-transferred surface portionsof the transfer objective body away from the liquid surface within thetransfer bath whereby the transfer objective body is sequentially takenout of the transfer bath.

The apparatus of the invention is characterized by including transferobjective body conveyance control means to control a pose of thetransfer objective body so that the transfer face of the transferobjective body enters the liquid while the transfer objective bodyfollows the transfer film so that the transfer face of the transferobjective body is developed onto the surface of the transfer film withinthe transfer bath in a plane manner.

In the apparatus of the invention, the transfer objective bodyconveyance control means is so constructed as to control the entrance ofthe transfer objective body into the liquid by the aforementionedmethod. This transfer objective body conveyance control means conveysthe transfer objective body while controlling the pose of the transferobjective body so that the transfer objective body enters the liquidwhile it is contacting the transfer film with the pose of the transferobjective body rolling system or the transfer objective body obliquelowering system.

In the transfer objective body conveyance control means, the liquidentrance conditions of the transfer objective body may be preferably setfor each of a plurality of sections into which the transfer objectivebody is divided along the liquid entrance direction. The sections may beindividually formed based on the portions which have a surfaceconfiguration largely different from each other and the central line ofeach of the sections should be set while right and leftthree-dimensional configurations of each of the transfer objective bodysections are considered so that they are balanced in a transversedirection.

The transfer objective body conveyance control means previously storesthe liquid entrance conditions such as the pose mode (including theliquid entrance angle) set so that every transfer face portion of thetransfer objective body enters the liquid while it is developed on thetransfer film in a plane manner, the predetermined liquid entrancevelocity set for every transfer face portion, a liquid contact position(in case of the transfer film feeding system) set for every transferface portion and so on and controls the poses of the transfer objectivebody and other conditions on the conveyance of the transfer objectivebody based on the data previously stored in this manner.

As already described, the liquid entrance conditions including the posemode and so on when the transfer objective body enters the liquid may bepreferably set for every section and therefore the transfer objectivebody conveyance control means stores the pose mode different for everysection and controls the conveyance pose of the transfer objective bodybased on the pose mode set for every section just entering the liquidwithin the transfer bath.

Since the transfer objective body has the liquid entrance pose variedwhenever the end of each of the sections reaches the liquid, as thetransfer objective body is controlled based on the variation in theliquid entrance pose, the transfer objective body will be conveyed in astepped manner because it is subject to abrupt variation in the liquidentrance pose and so on whenever the liquid entrance of the transferobjective body changed from one section to another section. In order toavoid this, the transfer objective body conveyance control meanspreferably controls the conveyance of the transfer objective body sothat the liquid entrance pose and so on vary in a smooth manner byapplying a smoothing command to the transfer objective body conveyancecontrol means before and after the sections are switched.

In the apparatus of the invention, the transfer objective bodyconveyance means may preferably comprise a plurality of carrying-intransfer objective body conveyance units disposed in a manner spaced toeach other in a position adjacent to a liquid contact position of thetransfer bath where the transfer object body contacts the liquid and atleast one carrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit disposedin a position adjacent to a transfer objective body taking out positionof the transfer bath.

Thirdly, this invention pertains to a liquid pressurepattern-transferred article which is characterized by being formed bytransferring the print pattern onto the transfer objective body by theaforementioned method.

The transfer objective body to which the invention may be applied is anarticle of which the liquid entrance face contacts the surface of thetransfer film with the contact area remarkably different from each otherif it enters the liquid with the same pose maintained and there are afender, a door, a bonnet, a bumper of a small-sized car and so on assuch an article. It should be noted that such an article may include oneused in various fields other than the outer panels of the car.

In this manner, as the pose of the transfer objective body is controlledso that the face (transfer face) of the transfer objective body ontowhich the print pattern should be transferred enters the liquid while itfollows the transfer film so that the transfer face is developed on thesurface of the transfer film in the plane manner, in case that thetransfer objective body is a large-sized one such as the car panelincluding the fender, the door or the bonnet of the small-sized car, forexample, which has a large radius of curvature, a large area of thecurved portion and large areas of adjacent portions on both sides of thecurved portion even though it has a small value of angle variation ofthe curved portion, the transfer objective body enters the liquid whileall the surface portions of the transfer objective body contact thesurface of the transfer film with the substantially identical contactarea in accordance with variation in the surface configuration of thetransfer objective body so that the print pattern on the transfer filmis transferred onto the surface of the transfer objective body. Thisprevents the print pattern which should be transferred from beingextended and thinned in its color. This allows the print pattern to besatisfactorily attached all over the surface portions of the transferobjective body and therefore the pattern transferred onto the transferobjective body is maintained uniformly and an intended expression ofdesign can be obtained on the transfer objective body.

A movement of the transfer objective body for contacting the transferfilm while it follows the transfer film so as to be developed thereoncan be easily accomplished by rolling the transfer face of the transferobjective body on the surface of the transfer film or lowering thetransfer objective body obliquely downward relative to the surface ofthe transfer film.

Even though the transfer face of the transfer objective body has a dent,the transfer objective body can enter the liquid while the transfer facethereof is opened when the edge of the dent enters the liquid. This caneffectively avoid such an air pocket as obstructs the print pattern frombeing closely attached to the transfer objective body.

As the liquid entrance conditions such as the liquid entrance pose(including the liquid entrance angle), the liquid entrance position, theliquid entrance velocity or the like are set for each of a plurality ofsections into which the transfer objective body is divided for theportions which have a surface configuration largely different from eachother, the conditions necessary for entering the liquid in the sameconditions as the transfer face of the transfer objective body isdeveloped on the surface of the transfer film in the plane manner can beeasily obtained and as a result, the liquid entrance of the transferobjective body can be easily controlled.

In the liquid pressure transfer technique according to the transfer filmfeeding system, as the transfer face of the transfer objective body isso set to enter the liquid at the substantially identical position (theliquid entrance position) in the direction in which the liquid flows,the transfer objective body immersed into the liquid at the positionwhere the ink forming the print pattern on the transfer film always hasa uniform degree of re-tackiness and a uniform degree of swell. Thisserves to improve the transfer characteristics together with theprinciple that the surface of the transfer objective body enters theliquid while it contacts the transfer film in a plane manner.

Furthermore, as the liquid entrance conditions such as the pose modes(including the liquid entrance angle) set so that every transfer faceportion of the transfer objective body enters the liquid while it isdeveloped on the transfer film in the plane manner, the substantiallyconstant liquid entrance position where the face portion of the transferobjective body enters the liquid and the predetermined liquid entrancevelocity set for every transfer face portion (the two latters thereofset only in case of the transfer film feeding system) are previouslystored and as the liquid entrance conditions such as the poses of thetransfer objective body on the conveyance of the transfer objective bodyare controlled in accordance with the previously stored data, theoperation of transferring the print pattern on various transferobjective bodies can be promptly made by changing record medium havingthe liquid entrance conditions previously stored for every kind of thetransfer objective body or by switching the areas in which the data arewritten.

The data written areas may be switched on an identification which can bemade by detecting an indication such as hole, notch or the like providedin a holder for the transfer objective body by a suitable detector suchas a proximity switch, a limit switch or an optical switch (sensor) sothat the kind of the transfer objective bodies (articles) on the holdertherefor is recognized.

In the apparatus of the invention, as the transfer objective bodyconveyance means comprises the plurality of carrying-in transferobjective body conveyance units disposed in a manner spaced to eachother in the position adjacent to the transfer objective body liquidentrance position of the transfer bath and at least one carrying-outtransfer objective body conveyance unit disposed in the positionadjacent to the transfer objective body taking out position of thetransfer bath, the plurality of the carrying-in transfer objective bodyconveyance units can be alternately used for sequentially carrying ineach one of the transfer objective bodies to the transfer objective bodyliquid entrance area and deliver these transfer objective bodies to thecarrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit at the transferobjective body liquid take-off area.

Thus, one of the carrying-in transfer objective body conveyance unitswhich previously carries in the transfer objective body can be rapidlyreturned to the carrying-in start position while another carrying-intransfer objective body conveyance unit is carrying in the next transferobjective body and therefore, the number of the transfer objectivebodies onto which the print pattern should be transferred per unit timecan increase whereby the liquid pressure transfer operation can be moreeffectively made.

In particular, since the moving velocity of the carrying-in transferobjective body conveyance units is relatively later after the transferobjective body enters the liquid until it leaves the liquid (while it isimmersed into the liquid), if the transfer operation would be made formany transfer objective bodies using only one carrying-in transferobjective body conveyance unit, it will take much time that the singletransfer objective body conveyance unit carries in the transferobjective body and delivers the pattern-transferred objective body tothe carrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit. Thus, thetransfer operation for the adjacent transfer objective bodies cannot beover in short time. However, with the plurality of carrying-in transferobjective body conveyance units used, while one of the carrying-intransfer objective body conveyance units is carrying in the transferobjective body, the other carrying-in transfer objective body conveyanceunit can be rapidly returned to the carrying-in start position.Therefore, the next transfer objective body can be soon carried in tothe transfer position succeeding the former transfer objective body.Thus, it will be noted that the print pattern can be more effectivelytransferred onto more transfer objective bodies with a relativelyshorter space by the two carrying-in transfer objective body conveyanceunits.

As the liquid pressure transferred articles are produced with the liquidentrance surface portion of the transfer objective body immersed intothe liquid with such a pose as the surface portion is developed on thesurface of the transfer film in the plane manner, it can have a goodappearance without any obscure pattern transferred even though it has alarge sized and complicated configuration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plane view of a summary system of a liquid pressure transferapparatus of the invention;

FIG. 2 is side elevational view of a transfer bath and transferobjective body conveyance units on a liquid entrance side and on aliquid take-off side which are used for the apparatus of the inventionwith the transfer bath taken in longitudinal section while therelationship of position thereof is illustrated;

FIG. 3 illustrates the relationship of position of FIG. 2 as viewed froman upstream side with the transfer bath taken in cross section;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a multi-joint type manipulatoras one example of the transfer conveyance unit used for the invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a drive system of the transferobjective body conveyance unit used for the apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a front fender panel of a carillustrated as a first example of the transfer objective body;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a rear fender panel of the carillustrated as a second example of the transfer objective body;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a side door panel of the car illustratedas a third example of the transfer objective body;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a rear door panel of the car illustratedas a fourth example of the transfer objective body;

FIG. 10 is a front view of a holder for the transfer objective bodyholding the front fender panel of the car and a suspending member tosuspend the holder together with the relationship of position thereof asviewed from the upstream side;

FIG. 11 is identical to FIG. 10 with respect to the relationship ofposition of the transfer objective body, the holder and the suspendingmember, but illustrates the transfer objective body removed out of theholder and the holder grasped by a finger grasper of the transferobjective body conveyance unit as viewed from the front face (upstreamdirection);

FIG. 12 illustrates a panel (a large-sized article) having a simpleconfiguration for explanation of an example for setting the liquidentrance conditions by a section division system used for practicing themethod of the invention;

FIG. 13 illustrates a process of setting different sections wherein FIG.13(A) is a cross-sectional view of a portion having a relatively planeand large radius of curvature and FIG. 13(B) is a cross sectional viewof a cross section having a relatively complicated configuration andcomprising a combination of a portion having a relatively small radiusof curvature and a portion having a relatively large radius ofcurvature;

FIG. 14 illustrates a principle of the invention;

FIG. 15 illustrates a three-dimensional configuration of a rear fenderpanel of a car as a transfer objective body and a development face on atransfer film which the whole transfer face of the transfer objectivebody should contact while it rolls the transfer film so as to bedeveloped thereon when a print pattern is transferred onto the transferobjective body for explaining a first embodiment based on the principleof the invention;

FIG. 16 sequentially illustrates the steps of developing on the surfaceof the transfer film (shown to be generally exaggerated) a bodycorresponding to the rear fender panel of the car as the transferobjective body, but shown simplified, in accordance with the firstembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the transferred pattern applied on thebody in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 illustrates an example in which the print pattern is transferredon the same body as shown in FIG. 16 without using the principle of theinvention;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the transferred pattern applied on thebody in accordance with the example of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 perspectively illustrates how the liquid entrance states of thewhole transfer objective body changes from the first to the last withthe portions lying in the air indicated by solid lines and with theportions ling under the liquid indicated by dotted lines;

FIG. 21 illustrates an upper half in which the three-dimensionalconfiguration of a side door panel of a car as the transfer objectivebody and a development face thereof are shown in a plane view and alower half in which a movement of the transfer objective body is shownin a side elevational view with the transfer objective body beingdeveloped while it moves in a transverse direction relative to thetransfer film while obliquely standing after the transfer objective bodybegins to enter the liquid and before it is fully immersed into theliquid;

FIG. 22 sequentially illustrates the steps of developing on the surfaceof the transfer film (shown to be generally exaggerated) a bodycorresponding to the side door panel of the car as the transferobjective body, but shown simplified while it moves in a transversedirection relative to the transfer film while obliquely standing inaccordance with the second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the transferred pattern applied on thebody in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 illustrates an example in which the print pattern is transferredon the same body as shown in FIG. 22 without using the principle of theinvention;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the transferred pattern applied on thebody in accordance with the example of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 sequentially illustrates the steps of developing on the surfaceof the transfer film the rear fender panel of the car as the transferobjective body although used by the method substantially identical tothat of FIG. 16, but adding the step of vertically standing the transferobjective body halfway in accordance with the third embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 27 illustrates in an enlarged view the step of vertically standingthe transfer objective view halfway in accordance with the embodiment ofFIG. 26;

FIG. 28 illustrates a transfer film having a print pattern in the formof lattice as an example and the rear fender, the side door or the frontfender of the car having the unified transferred pattern applied by thetransfer film;

FIG. 29 illustrates in a perspective view a rear fender panel having adesirable transferred pattern and in a plane view a development face forproviding the desirable transferred pattern for the rear fender panel;

FIG. 30 illustrates in a perspective view a rear fender panel having anundesirable transferred pattern and in a plane view a development facefor providing the undesirable transferred pattern for the rear fenderpanel; and

FIG. 31 illustrates in a perspective view a rear fender panel havinganother undesirable transferred pattern and in a plane view adevelopment face for providing the undesirable transferred pattern forthe rear fender panel.

BEST MODE FOR EMBODYING THE INVENTION

Describing a mode embodying the present invention with reference withthe drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically illustrate a liquid pressuretransfer apparatus 10 of the invention and the apparatus 10 comprises atransfer bath 16 through and within which a liquid 12 such as water, asa typical example flows from an inlet 14A toward an outlet 14B at agiven velocity, a transfer film supply means 18 for sequentiallysupplying a transfer film 1 having a predetermined print pattern so asto float on a liquid surface 12A within the transfer bath 16 and atransfer objective body conveyance means 20 to supply within thetransfer bath a transfer objective body onto which the print pattern isnot yet transferred and take out a transfer objective body 2B onto whichthe print pattern is transferred.

In the invention, “liquid” may be typically water, but it may be otherthan water which can swell and dissolve the transfer film 1 withoutadversely affecting the ink of the print pattern on the transfer film 1.

The transfer bath may have a liquid temperature setting device not shownwithin it. The liquid temperature setting device serves to maintain theuniform temperature of the liquid 12 flowing within the transfer bath.The transfer bath 16 is provided on both sides thereof with film guides22 and 22′, which may comprise an endless guide member 26 such as abelt, a chain or the like provided around a guide drive portion 24 suchas a pulley, a sprocket or the like not shown and moving at a velocitycorresponding to the supplying velocity of the transfer film 1.

These film guides 22 and 22′ engage and guide both edges of the transferfilm 1 swollen on the liquid surface 12A so as to feed both edges at avelocity corresponding to the feeding velocity of the transfer film 1whereby the transfer film 1 is fed at a predetermined identical velocityover the whole width thereof with the result that it is prevented fromdistorting the print pattern on the transfer film 1.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, a reference numeral 17 designates a overflow bathwhich overflows the liquid when the liquid within the transfer bath 16exceeds a predetermined liquid level.

As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer film supply means 18 may comprise atransfer film supply 28, a supply roller group 30, an activator coatingbath 32 to coat an activator on the print pattern on the transfer film 1so as to swell and activate it, a conveyance member 34 to convey thetransfer film 1 from the activator coating bath to the liquid surface12A within the transfer bath 16 at a given velocity. Guide rollers 36may be disposed between the transfer film supply 28 and the supplyroller group 30 and between the activator coating bath 32 and theconveyance member 34, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transfer film 1 floating on the liquidsurface 12A within the transfer bath 16 may be obliquely subject to anair pressure from an upstream side toward a downstream side by a blower84. The blower 84 serves to extend wrinkles in a uniform manner when thetransfer film 1 is swollen and also apply an initial drive power to thetransfer film 1. Although the transfer film 1 may be also driven by theblower 84 and the flow of the liquid 12, fundamentally it may becontrolled to be finally fed by the film guides 22 and 22′ asaforementioned.

As particularly shown in FIG. 1, the transfer objective body conveyancemeans 20 may comprise a conveyance passage 40 having a chain extendingacross the transfer bath 16 in the form of S shape and including aplurality of suspending members 38 provided in a spaced manner tosuspend the transfer objective bodies 2, a plurality (a pair) ofcarrying-in transfer objective body conveyance units 42 and 42′ disposedon both sides of the transfer bath 16 at a position adjacent to theliquid entrance position of the transfer objective body in a mannerspaced to receive the untransferred objective body 2A from one of thesuspending members 38 on the conveyance passage 40 and at least onecarrying-out, transfer objective body conveyance unit 44 disposed at aposition where the transfer objective body leaves the liquid within thetransfer bath 16 to return the pattern-transferred objective body 2B tothe suspending member 38.

In the illustrated mode, as shown in FIGS. 3, 10 and 11, a suspendingrod 46 and a substantially triangular suspending frame 48 providedintegrally with the suspending rod 46 having hook-shaped hookingportions 48 a provided at tops of the suspending frame 48.

Each of the transfer objective bodies 2 may be held by suitable means ona transfer objective body holder 50 having a structure which will bedescribed later with respect to the particular transfer objective body2A or 2 b (both are totally designated by a reference numeral 2) withreference to FIGS. 10 and 11. The transfer objective body holder 50 maybe suspended by hooking a frame portion thereof on one of thehook-shaped hooking portions 48 a of the suspending member 48.

In the illustrated mode, all of the carrying-in transfer objective bodyconveyance units 42 and 42′ and the carrying-out transfer objective bodyconveyance unit 44 may comprise a multi-joint type manipulator (robot)52 as shown in FIG. 4.

The multi-joint type manipulator 52 may comprise a main body 58 having ahorizontally turning mechanism 54 to turn it as indicated by an arrow“A” and a vertically turning mechanism 56 to turn it as indicated by anarrow “B”, an arm support 60 supported on the main body 58 pivotally ina vertical direction, an arm group 66 including a first arm 62 supportedon the arm support 60 to swing about its axis and a second arm 64provided at a leading end of the first arm 62 to swing on a verticalface along the arm 64 and a finger grasper 68 provided at a leading endof the second arm 64 to swing on a vertical face crossing the second arm64 to grasp the pattern-untransferred objective body 2A and thepattern-transferred objective body 2B and arbitrarily change the pose ofthe transfer objective body 2A or 2B.

The multi-joint type manipulator 52 grasps the transfer objective body 2by grasping the transfer objective body holder 50 holding the transferobjective body 2 by the finger grasper 68 of the manipulator 52. Thecarrying-in transfer objective body conveyance unit 42 or 42′ comprisingthe multi-joint type manipulator 52 sequentially receives thepattern-untransferred objective bodies 2A from the suspending members 38on the upstream side of the conveyance passage 40 above the transferbath 16 and thereafter sequentially conveys them at the given velocityand with the given pose so that the surface portions of thepattern-untransferred objective bodies 2A are immersed into the liquid.The carrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit 44 conveys thepattern-transferred objective bodies 2B so as to sequentially receivethe pattern-transferred objective bodies 2B from the carrying-intransfer objective body conveyance unit 42 or 42′, leave the liquidwithin transfer bath 16 to raise up them to a space above the transferbath 16 and deliver them to the vacant suspending members 38 on thedownstream side of the conveyance passage 40.

In the illustrated form, the transfer objective body holder 50 is shownto be in the form suitable for holding the front fender panel of the caras the transfer objective body 2.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the transfer objective body holder 50 maycomprise a square main frame integrally formed of wires and a pluralityof leg-like support members 50B. As described later, the main frame 50Ais grasped by the finger-like grasper 68 of the transfer objective bodyconveyance unit 42, 42′ or 44 while the support members 50B at theirends are inserted into the transfer objective body 2 (thepattern-untraneferred objective body 2A before the print pattern istransferred thereon or the pattern-transferred objective body 2B afterthe print pattern is transferred thereon) at suitable positions thereofto hold the transfer objective body 2A or 2B.

As shown in FIG. 5, a transfer objective body conveyance control means76 supplies instructions to a drive source 72 for the carrying-intransfer objective body conveyance unit 42 or 42′ and to a drive source74 for the carrying-out transfer objective body 44 in accordance withstored data from record medium 70 which stores conveyance controlinformations such as a liquid entrance conditions including a liquidentrance position within the transfer bath 16, a liquid entrancevelocity and a liquid entrance pose (including a liquid entrance angle)and a liquid leaving or take-off pose of the transfer objective body 2when it leaves the liquid.

Returning to FIG. 1, an upstream portion of the conveyance passage 40relative to the transfer bath 16 (a lower passage portion of theconveyance passage on the right-hand side of FIG. 1) communicates withan apparatus 78 for applying a ultraviolet ray application treatment tothe pattern-untransferred objective body 2A for various purposes while adownstream portion of the conveyance passage 40 relative to the transferbath 16 (an upper passage portion of the conveyance passage on theleft-hand side of FIG. 1) communicates with an apparatus or apparatusesfor applying a post-treatment not shown such as an apparatus forcleaning the pattern-transferred objective body 2B.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ultraviolet ray application treatment apparatus78 may comprise an ultraviolet ray lamp 82 grasped by a multi-joint typemanipulator (robot) 80 similar to the multi-joint type manipulator usedfor the transfer objective body conveyance means 20, but the detaileddescription thereof will be omitted.

The invention may be suitably applied to a transfer objective body 2having a surface of a large-sized and complicated three-dimensionalconfiguration such as a panel of a car as shown in FIGS. 6 through 9.The transfer objective body 2 of FIG. 6 is a front fender panel 2FF of acar, the transfer objective body 2 of FIG. 7 is a rear fender panel 2RFof the car, the transfer objective body 2 of FIG. 8 is a side door panel2SD of the car and the transfer objective body 2 of FIG. 9 is a reardoor panel 2RD of the car. The door panels 2SD and 2RD have decorationfaces not only on the front face thereof, but also on the back facethereof with the back decoration face succeeding the front decorationface. Thus, these panels are required to enter the liquid so that theback face of the transfer objective body 2 contacts the transfer film 1.

Fundamentally, the liquid pressure transfer method of the invention isthat the face of the transfer objective body 2 on which the printpattern should be transferred (the transfer face, decoration face ordesign face) enters the liquid while a pose of the transfer objectivebody is controlled so that the transfer face 2 a of the transferobjective body 2 follows the transfer film 1 within the transfer bath 16while being developed on the transfer film 1 in a plane manner. Thisimplies that the decoration face 2 a of the transfer objective body 2 isadhered to the surface of the transfer film 1 with the contact area notcorresponding to a shadow or projection area of the three-dimensionaldecoration face 2 a of the transfer objective body 2, but correspondingto the development area thereof. Thus, the print pattern on the transferfilm 1 is transferred on the transfer objective body without anyextension or shrinkage of the pattern and without any variation in itslight and shade thereof.

Explaining a large-sized and simplified panel as shown in FIG. 12 as anexample of the transfer objective body 2, the principle of the inventionis accomplished by setting an imaginary development face IS obtained byimaginarily developing the decoration face 2 a of the transfer objectivebody 2 on the transfer film 1 within the transfer bath 16 and immersingthe transfer objective body 2 into the liquid 12 within the transferbath 16 while the pose thereof is controlled so that the transfer faceof the transfer objective body 2 follows the imaginary development faceIS on the transfer film 1. In this manner, the print pattern on thetransfer film 1 is adhered to the decoration face 2 a of the transferobjective body 2 with the same area as the surface area of thedevelopment face IS. As a result, the print pattern on the transfer film1 is never extended or shrunk on the face of the transfer objective body2 and therefore the transferred pattern is neither distorted nor variesin light and shade of its color. This can obtain a good transfercharacteristic.

In one embodiment, this invention can be accomplished by a process inwhich the decoration face 2 a of the transfer objective body 2 entersthe liquid while it rolls on the surface of the transfer film 1. In thismanner, the decoration face 2 a of the transfer objective body 2 followsthe transfer film 1 by this rolling so that the decoration face 2 a isdeveloped on the transfer film 1 in a plane manner. An example of thistransfer objective body rolling system will be described later withreference to FIGS. 15 through 20.

In another embodiment, this invention can be accomplished by immersingthe transfer objective body 2 while it is lowered obliquely downward ina predetermined direction (a transverse direction, for example) relativeto the transfer film 1 with the decoration face 2 a of the transferobjective body 2 contacting the surface of the transfer film 1. As thetransfer objective body 2 is lowered obliquely downward while thedecoration face 2 a of the transfer objective body 2 contacts thesurface of the transfer film 1, the decoration face 2 a of the transferobjective body 2 similarly follows the transfer film 1 so as to bedeveloped thereon in a plane manner. An example of the transferobjective body oblique lowering system (a transverse movement system ifit is moved in a transverse direction) will be described later withreference to FIGS. 21 through 25.

Next, a preferable concrete means for immersing the transfer objectivebody 2 into the liquid while the decoration face 2 a thereof isdeveloped on the transfer film 1 in the plane manner will be describedhereinjustbelow with reference to FIGS. 12 through 14.

Preferably, the transfer objective body 2 is divided into a plurality ofsections 2S along the liquid entrance direction (typically in thelongitudinal direction) on the transfer face onto which the printpattern should be transferred. Each of the sections 2S is set bygenerally considering variation in the longitudinal curvature of thesurface portions of the transfer objective body 2 and variation in acurve line of the cross section of the transfer objective body 2. Thetransfer objective body 2 is divided so that a range having a largecurvature variation in the longitudinal direction becomes a border.

For example, in case that the transfer objective body 2 has dents andprotrusions alternatively provided thereon, each of the sections 2S maybe set for every surface portion having the protrusion on the side ofthe transfer film 1, for every surface portion having the dent on theside of the transfer film 1 or for every surface portion where theradius of curvature remarkably changes even though the protrusions orthe dents appear successively on the surface portions.

In the example of FIGS. 12 and 13, three sections 2S1 through 2S3 areformed by. dividing the decoration face 2 a (an upper face in FIG. 12and a lower face in FIG. 13) of the transfer objective body 2 into threeportions in a longitudinal direction.

The first section 2S1 is a portion where the decoration face 2 a issubstantially plane, the second section 2S2 is a portion where thedecoration face 2 a is slightly protruding on the side of the transferfilm 1 and the third section 2S3 is a portion where the decoration face2 a is protruding at a position biased toward one of the sides and onthe side of the transfer film 1 with the curvature smaller than that ofthe second section 2S2.

The pose of the transfer objective body of FIG. 12 when entering theliquid is controlled for every section 2S1, 2S2 or 2S3 so that thetransfer objective body 2 enters the liquid while it contacts thetransfer film 1 with the surface of the transfer objective body 2corresponding to the imaginary development face IS of FIGS. 12 and 13imaginarily set on the transfer film 1.

In the example of FIG. 14, first through fourth sections 2S1 through 2S4are formed by dividing into four portions the longitudinal sectionobtained by cutting the decoration face 2 a of the transfer objectivebody 2 along the longitudinal direction at the central portion in atransverse direction.

The first section 2S1 is a section having a plane surface portion wherethe longitudinal section is substantially linear, the second and fourthsections 2S2 and 2S4 are sections having a surface portion whichprotrudes on the side of the transfer film 1 and the third section 2S3is a section having a surface portion which dents on the side of thetransfer film 1.

The pose of the transfer objective body 2 of FIG. 14 is controlled sothat the transfer objective body 2 enters the liquid 12A while thelongitudinal sections of these sections 2S1 through 2S4 are developed orextended linearly.

More particularly, the first section 2S1 of the transfer objective body2 enters the liquid while a length L1 of the longitudinal section isdeveloped to a length L1′ which corresponds to a length obtained bylinearly extending the length L1. The second section 2S2 enters theliquid while an arc length L2 of the longitudinal section is developedto a length L2′ which corresponds to a length obtained by linearlyextending the length L2. The third section 2S3 enters the liquid whilean arc length L3 of the longitudinal section is developed to a lengthL3′ which corresponds to a length obtained by linearly extending thelength L3′. The fourth section 2S4 enters the liquid while an arc lengthL4 of the longitudinal section is developed to a length L4′ whichcorresponds to a length obtained by linearly extending the length L4.

In the example of FIG. 14, although the longitudinal section which isobtained by cutting the transfer objective body 2 is described, theprinciple of the invention may be applied to all the cut sections whichare obtained in a transverse direction and in directions (radialdirections) between the longitudinal direction and the transversedirection other than the longitudinal direction. However, if theprinciple on the liquid entrance of the invention tries to be applied toall the directions, then the pose of the transfer objective body 2 onthe liquid entrance will be extremely complicated. Thus, in practice, itmay be preferably applied to a central cross section in the longitudinaldirection and in the traverse direction with respect to a large surfaceportion (an arc face, for example) forming the configuration of thesurface of the transfer objective body 2 which just enters the liquid.

Although it will be considered that some sections include a portion orportions having a surface configuration which abruptly changes, if sucha portion or portions as have the abruptly changing surfaceconfiguration have a small surface area, they can enter the liquid withthe same pose as other portions of the same section do without adverselyaffecting the transferred pattern so much and therefore no furtherconsideration needs to be taken into the entrance pose with respect tothe abruptly changing surface portions.

Although the car panels 2FF, 2RF, 2SD and 2RD of FIGS. 6 through 9 asthe examples of the transfer objective body 2 have only the liquidentrance center lines L shown, but any divisional sections not shown,dividing the rear fender panel 2RF into sections will be described withreference to FIG. 15.

An example of the method of the invention in which the transferobjective body is immersed into the liquid while it is developed on thetransfer film by the transfer objective body rolling system will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 15 through 20.

Although, in the example of FIGS. 15 through 19, the print pattern istransferred onto the rear fender panel 2RF of FIG. 7 as the transferobjective body 2 under the liquid pressure, it can be transferred alsoonto the front fender panel of FIG. 6 as the transfer objective bodyunder the liquid pressure by the similar transfer objective body rollingsystem.

As shown in FIG. 15, no projection or shadow face of the decoration face2 a of the rear fender panel 2RF as the transfer objective body 2 is seton the surface of the transfer film 1, but the imaginary developmentface IS thereof is imaginarily set on the surface of the transfer film 1and the transfer objective body 2 is immersed into the liquid in acontrolled manner while rolling the decoration face 2 a of the transferobjective body 2 on the surface of the transfer film 2 so that thedecoration face 2 a thereof corresponds to the imaginary developmentface of the transfer film 1.

Also as shown in FIG. 15, the rear fender panel 2RF sequentially entersthe liquid along the longitudinal direction starting with the narrowwidth portion thereof. The rear fender panel 2RF is divided into foursections 2S1 through 2S4 along the liquid entrance direction (thelongitudinal direction).

This panel 2RF has no decoration face having dents and protrusionsalternatively appearing along the longitudinal direction as shown inFIG. 14, but has a curved face at its narrow width portion extending ina horizontal direction and at its leading portions extending in avertical direction while they show gradually wider width. The liquidentrance points on the liquid entrance center line of the adjacentsections are designated by reference codes P1 through P5 while thecorresponding liquid entrance points on the imaginary development faceIS which should be imaginarily set on the transfer film 1 are designatedby reference codes F1 through F5.

Since the transfer film 1 is sequentially fed from the right-hand sideof FIG. 15 to the left-hand side thereof, the liquid entrance points F1through F5 of the transfer film are sequentially fed to the positionswhere the liquid entrance points P1 through P5 of the panel 2RFsequentially reach the liquid as shown in FIGS. 20(A) through 20(E).Thus, the transfer objective body 2 always enters the liquid at thesubstantially identical liquid entrance position Pt. As noted from FIGS.20 (D) and 20 (E), as the last section S4 enters the liquid, the formersections 2S1 and 2S2 rise up from the liquid level 12A, but since thesesections 2S1 and 2S2 have the print pattern already transferred from thetransfer film 1 while they are subject to the liquid pressure by beingimmersed into the liquid, there is no problem in the sections 2S1 and2S2 rising up from the liquid surface. In FIG. 20, the portions of thepanel 2RF lying in the air are indicated by solid lines while theportions thereof lying under the liquid surface are indicated by dottedlines. Accordingly, it will be noted from the example of FIG. 20(D) thatthe front and rear portions of the panel 2RF lie in the air while themiddle portions thereof lie under the liquid surface, and it will benoted from the example of FIG. 20(E) that as the wider portions of thepanel 2RF are immersed into the liquid, the front long and narrowportion thereof rises up from the level in the condition that the liquidpressure transfer treatment is finished at the portion.

Returning to FIG. 16, the configuration of the panel 2RF as the transferobjective body 2 shown in FIG. 7 is illustrated to be simplified forconvenience of explanation. The panel 2RF sequentially enters the liquidin the longitudinal direction while the decoration face 2 a of the panelsequentially rolls on the surface of the transfer film 1. Moreparticularly, at first, the leading end of the panel 2RF enters theliquid while pressed against the transfer film 1 as shown in FIG. 16(A), the succeeding portion of the decoration face 2 a sequentiallyenters the liquid in the longitudinal direction of the panel 2RF whileit sequentially rolls on the longitudinal surface of the transfer film 1as shown in FIG. 16(B) and finally the rear end of the panel 2RF entersthe liquid while pressed against the transfer film 1.

It should be noted that a length 1L over which the print pattern on thetransfer film 1 is attached to the surface of the panel 2RF does notcorresponds to a projection length of the decoration face 2 a of thepanel 2RF, but corresponds to a length 2L of the developed decorationface 2 a of the panel 2RF. Thus, the pattern-transferred panel 2RF hasthe transferred pattern 2P uniform in the longitudinal direction asshown in FIG. 17. In the example of FIG. 16, the print pattern is shownto be a stripe pattern extending in a transverse direction of thetransfer film 1 as noted from FIG. 17.

Different from the principle of the invention, if the decoration face 2a of the panel 2RF enters the liquid in a vertical direction withoutrolling in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIGS. 18(A) through18(C), the length 2L of the panel 2RF as the transfer objective body 2will be larger than a length 1L′ of the transfer film 1 which the printpattern on the transfer film 1 of is attached to the decoration face 2 aof the panel 2RF having the length 2L (2L>1L′) and as a result, thetransferred pattern 2P′ on the pattern-transferred panel 2RF will bedistorted as shown in FIG. 19. This is caused by the print pattern beingelongated in the longitudinal direction of the panel 2RF. Although notable to be indicated in the figure, the color of the transferred pattern2P′ will get lighter.

In FIGS. 16 and 18, since the liquid entrance portions of the decorationface 2 a of the panel 2RF is shown to be shifted sequentially toward therightward direction, the liquid entrance point seems to be not at thesame position and as if it moves toward the upstream side, but it shouldbe noted that since the panel 2RF enters the liquid while it is movingat the same velocity and in the same direction as the transfer film 1moves, the panel 2RF enters the liquid at the substantially identicalliquid entrance point although it rolls on the surface of the transferfilm 1 (see FIG. 20).

Next, the method of the invention will be described in details withreference to FIGS. 21 through 25 with respect to an example in which thetransfer objective body enters the liquid while it is developed by thetransfer objective body oblique lowering system (the transfer objectivebody transverse moving system).

In the example of FIGS. 21 and 22, the print pattern is transferred ontothe side door panel 2SD as the transfer objective body 2 as shown inFIG. 8, what is different from the fender panels 2FF and 2RF is that thepanel 2SD has not only the front decoration face portion, but also aback decoration face portion 2 a′ succeeding from the front decorationface 2 a through the edge of the back face thereof.

As shown in a plane view portion on the upside of FIG. 21, the side doorpanel 2SD as the transfer objective body 2 enters the liquid in acontrolled manner while it transversely moves with such pose as thefront decoration face 2 a of the panel 2SD follows the surface of thetransfer film 1 with the decoration faces 2 a and 2 a′ of the panel 2SDcontact the transfer film along the imaginary development face IS whichis obtained by imaginarily developing the decoration faces on thesurface of the transfer film 1, but not the projection face of the frontdecoration face 2 a.

Referring to FIG. 22, one of the edges of the panel 2SD as the transferobjective body 2 contacts the transfer film 1 with such a pose as thepanel is obliquely inclined and the panel 2SD enters the liquidobliquely downward while it contacts sequentially following the transferfilm 1. More particularly, as shown in FIGS. 22(A) and 22(B), the panel2SD enters the liquid starting with the one edge thereof while it ispressed against the transfer film 1 without transversely moving atfirst. At that time, as shown in an enlarged portion of FIG. 22(B), aportion of the transfer film 1 is pulled by the panel 2SD so that thefilm portion wraps the back decoration face 2 a′ and therefore the printpattern is transferred onto the back decoration face 2 a′.

Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 22(C) and 22(D), the panel 2SD enters theliquid moving obliquely downward while the decoration face 2 a of thepanel 2SD is pressed against the surface of the transfer film 1 in atransverse direction so that it follows the surface of the transfer film1.

In a manner similar to the transfer objective body rolling system, inthe transfer objective oblique lowering system, a width size 1W of thetransfer film 1 attached to the surface of the panel 2SD shown in FIG.22(D) corresponds to a width size 2W of the development face which isobtained by developing the curved decoration faces 2 a and 2 a′ of thepanel 2SD, not to the projection width size of the decoration face 2 aof the panel 2SD. Thus, the pattern-transferred panel 2SD has thetransferred pattern uniform in the transverse direction as shown in FIG.23.

Different from the principle of the invention, if the decoration face 2a of the panel 2SD enters the liquid while being lowered along avertical direction without transversely moving as shown in FIGS. 24(A)through 24(C), the width 2W of the panel 2SD as the transfer objectivebody 2 will be remarkably larger than a width 1W′ of the transfer film 1over which the print pattern on the transfer film 1 is attached to thedecoration face 2 a of the panel 2SD (2W>>1W′) and as a result, thetransferred pattern 2P′ on the pattern-transferred panel 2SD will not beuniform as shown in FIG. 25. This is caused by the print pattern beingelongated in the transverse direction of the panel 2SD. Although notable to be indicated in the figure, the color of the transferred pattern2P′ will get lighter.

Although, in the transfer objective body oblique lowering system of FIG.22, the transfer objective body 2 moves in the transverse direction ofthe transfer film 1, it also enters the liquid moving in thelongitudinal direction of the transfer film 1 at the velocitycorresponding to the feeding velocity of the transfer film 1 while thepose thereof is so controlled that the longitudinal surfaces of thedecoration faces 2 a and 2 a′ contact the surface of the transfer film 1following the plane surface thereof.

Thus, the transfer objective body 2 enters the liquid in thelongitudinal direction at the velocity corresponding to the feedingvelocity of the transfer film 1 while the decoration faces 2 a and 2 a′are developed on the surface of the transfer film 1 and it also entersthe liquid in the transverse direction in accordance with the transferobjective body oblique lowering system (the transfer objective bodytransverse moving system in the illustrated embodiment) while thedecoration faces 2 a and 2 a′ are developed on the surface of thetransfer film 1 on the liquid surface 12A.

In the method of the invention, the condition in which the decorationface 2 a of the transfer objective body 2 having dents and protrusionsis prevented from forming air pockets therein as well as the conditionin which the transfer objective body 2 enters the liquid while thedecoration face thereof is developed in the plane manner on the surfaceof the transfer film 1 following the latter will be described hereinjust below with respect to an example of the rear door panel 2RD withreference to FIGS. 26 and 27.

Fundamentally, the transfer objective body 2 enters the liquid inaccordance with the aforementioned principle of the invention, but asshown in FIG. 26(A), the transfer objective body 2 enters the liquidwith such a pose as the decoration face 2 a of the transfer objectivebody 2 contacts and follows the surface of the transfer film 1 so that adeveloped length 2L which is obtained by developing the rear door panel2RD as the transfer objective body 2 including the dents and theprotrusions in the plane manner (in a linear manner) corresponds to alength IL of the transfer film 1.

As shown in FIG. 26(B), the transfer objective body 2 enters the liquidwhile maintaining the substantially uniform liquid entrance angle at thevelocity corresponding to the feeding velocity of the transfer film 1 sothat the substantially linear portion of the decoration face 2 a followsthe surface of the transfer film 1.

As shown in FIG. 26(C), when the portion having the dent 2 b of thedecoration face 2 a reaches the liquid entrance point Pt, the transferobjective body 2 enters the liquid while it rises vertically and islowered in a vertical direction. Although the liquid entrance pose ofonly the surface variation portion at the terminal end of the dent 2 bis shown in FIG. 26(C), the surface variation portion at the leading endof the dent 2 b will enter the liquid with the same liquid entrancepose.

The portion of the transfer objective body 2 between the leading surfacevariation portion and the terminating surface variation portion of thedent 2 b enters the liquid moving obliquely downward in the same manneras the other surface portions of the decoration face 2 a as shown inFIGS. 26(B) and 27(A).

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 26(D), the remaining portions of thedecoration face 2 a enter the liquid while returning again to theoriginal liquid entrance angle so that they follow the surface of thetransfer film 1.

As shown in FIG. 26(C), as the transfer objective body 2 is verticallylowered with the dent 2 b faced sideways, no air is closed within thedent 2 b and therefore the transfer objective body 2 can enter theliquid while the air is discharged sideways. More particularly, since noair is involved in the dent 2 b of the decoration face 2 a of thetransfer objective body 2, no air pocket in which the air remains isformed between the surface of the transfer objective body 2 and thetransfer film 1. Thus, the print pattern on the transfer film 1 can bepositively adhered even to the surfaces of the dent portions 2 b.

If the transfer objective body 2 enters the liquid so that the portionof dent 2 b thereof is closed relative to the transfer film 1 as shownin FIG. 27(C), an air pocket will be formed between the transfer face ofthe transfer objective body 2 and the transfer film 1, which causes theprint pattern to be poorly adhered to the transfer objective body.

Means to prevent this air pocket from being formed is that the transferenters the liquid in the condition that the transfer face of thetransfer objective body 2 is open to the transfer film 1 and thereforeit should be noted that the aforementioned means is not limited to thevertical liquid entrance of the transfer objective body.

Although, in the example of FIGS. 15 through 27, the transfer objectivebody 2 enters the liquid surface 12A within the transfer bath 16 usingthe transfer film feeding system, the principle of the invention may beapplied to the case in which the transfer objective body 2 enters theliquid surface 12A within the transfer bath 16 using the transfer filmstationary system. In the transfer film stationary system, since thetransfer film 1 is considered to be in the condition of being fullyactivated and swollen all over the face, the liquid entrance position ofthe transfer objective body 2 is not required to be constant and theliquid entrance velocity of the transfer objective body is not requiredto be limited.

In either of the transfer film feeding system and the transfer filmstationary system, the portion of the decoration face (the transferface) of the transfer objective body 2 should enter the liquid whilethey follow the surface of the transfer film in the plane manner, but itshould be considered that no air is involved between the transferobjective body 2 and the transfer film 1. To this end, an angle (liquidentrance angle) of the surface portion of the transfer objective body 2just entering the liquid should be preferably set in the range from 10°through 170°.

If the liquid entrance angle is less than 10°, then the air is easilyinvolved and if the liquid entrance angle is more than 170°, then thetransfer film 1 is poorly wrapped around the surface of the transferobjective body 10° so that a discontinuation in the pattern tends toundesirably occur.

The liquid entrance angle of 10° or more than and less than 90° impliesthat the decoration face portion of the transfer objective body 2 entersthe liquid while inclined in the same direction as the transfer film 1is fed, the liquid entrance angle of more than 90° to 170° implies thatthe transfer face portion of the transfer objective body 2 enters theliquid while inclined in a direction reverse to that in which thetransfer film 1 is fed and the liquid entrance angle of 90° implies thatthe transfer face portion of the transfer objective body 2 enters theliquid at a right angle relative to the liquid surface 12A.

The case that the print pattern is transferred onto the transferobjective body 2 having such a configuration as the transfer faceportion thereof is abruptly curved at an angle less than 90 is anexample in which the transfer objective body 2 should enter the liquidin the direction reverse to the feeding direction of the transfer film1. Concretely, this will be used in case that the rear fender panel 2RFof FIG. 7 is the transfer objective body 2. As shown in FIG. 20(D), thelast decoration face portion is supposed to enter the liquid at theliquid entrance angle of more than 90 in the direction reverse to thefeeding direction of the transfer film 1.

Finally, in some cases such as the transfer objective bodies 2 arepanels for various parts, some transfer objective bodies 2 are requiredto have a combination of patterns so as to have the unified transferredpattern all over the car appearance. For example, supposed that thetransfer film 1 has a lattice-like pattern 1 a as shown in FIG. 28(A),the transfer objective bodies 2 are required to contact the transferfilm 1 so that the front fender panel 2FF, the side door panel 2SD andthe rear fender panel 2RF have the transferred lattice-like patterns 2Punified as shown in FIG. 28(B). This can be accomplished by making theextension direction of the predetermined transferred pattern coincidentwith the longitudinal direction of the transfer film 1, but not bymaking the center line of the liquid entrance of the transfer objectivebodies 2 coincident with the center line in the transverse direction.Although, in FIG. 28, the example of the lattice-like patterns isillustrated, it does not imply that the practical car has thelattice-like patterns set. It should be understood that the lattice-likepatterns are used because they would facilitate to explain whether thetransferred patterns are unified or not. The lattice-like patterns ofFIGS. 29 through 31 are used also for the same reason.

For example, supposed that the transferred patterns 2P as shown in FIGS.28(A) and 29(A) are formed on the rear fender panel 2RF of the car, thedecoration face of the rear fender panel 2RF follows the surface of thetransfer film 1 so that the decoration face of the panel 2RF isdeveloped as the imaginary development face IS on the transfer film 1.This is accomplished by making the pattern on the imaginary developmentface IS coincident with the print pattern on the transfer film 1, butnot by making the center line of the liquid entrance of the transferobjective bodies 2 coincident with the center line L′ of the surface ofthe transfer film 1.

If the center line of the liquid entrance of the rear fender panel 2RFwould follow the transfer film 1 along the center line L′ of theimaginary development face IS so as to correspond with the center lineof the transfer film 1 in the transverse direction as shown in FIG.30(B), the panel 2RF would have the pattern extending in an inclinedmanner as shown in FIG. 30(A). This deteriorates the appearance of therear fender panel 2RF because the obtained pattern is different from theideal pattern of the panel 2RD of FIG. 28 so that the whole patterns ofthe car gets unbalanced.

In the embodiments of FIG. 15 and the figures following FIG. 15, theliquid pressure transfer method are described to be made in accordancewith the transfer film feeding system using the apparatus of FIGS. 1through 4. The liquid entrance velocity and the liquid entrance positionare important elements for this transfer film feeding system.

Explaining the liquid entrance velocity, if the transfer objective body2 would enter the liquid at a velocity higher than the traveling orfeeding velocity of the transfer film 1, then the print pattern on thetransfer film 1 which should be attached to the transfer objective body2 would be extended so that the pattern is distorted or so that thecolor is lighter. Reversely, if the transfer objective body 2 wouldenter the liquid at a velocity lower than the traveling velocity of thetransfer film 1, the print pattern on the transfer film 1 which shouldbe attached to the transfer objective body 2 would be shrunk so that thepattern is distorted or so that the color is darker. Thus, in any case,the transfer characteristics will be deteriorated. Therefore, thedecoration face 2 a of the transfer objective body 2 should preferablyenter the liquid at the liquid entrance velocity (or the surfacevelocity) corresponding to the feeding velocity of the transfer film 1.

In some cases, the liquid entrance velocity of the transfer objectivebody does not always correspond to the traveling velocity of thetransfer film 1, but is higher or lower than the traveling velocity ofthe transfer film 1 in accordance with the other liquid entranceconditions such as the liquid entrance angle and so on or in anarbitrary manner. As the liquid entrance velocity arbitrarily changes,the whole color tone of the decoration face 2 a of the transferobjective body 2 can change or the pattern thereof can be adjusted.

Next, explaining the liquid contact position, the liquid contactposition Pt is set at a position where the transfer film 1 is mostsuitably swollen by the activator coated by the activator coat bath 32and the liquid 12 which the transfer film 1 contacts within the transferbath 16 while it is fed on the liquid surface 12A from the right-handside to the left-hand side as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2 after the transferfilm 1 contacts the liquid at the liquid contact position Pf asaforementioned.

The reason why the surface of the transfer objective body 2 alwayscontacts the liquid at the substantially identical position Pt is thatthe transfer objective body 2 is close to the transfer film 1 in thecondition that the transfer film 1 is swollen on the same conditions soas to always provide the uniform transfer characteristics.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the transfer objective body 2 is supportedon the transfer objective body holder 50 by being mounted on theleg-like support members 50B of the transfer objective body holder 50.Although, in FIGS. 10 and 11, the transfer objective body 2 is shown tobe the front fender panel 2FF of FIG. 6, the other panels 2RF, 2SD and2RD are also supported on the transfer objective body holder 50 in asimilar manner. The main frame 50A of the holder 50 may be grasped bythe finger-like grasper 68 of the carrying-in transfer objective bodyconveyance unit 42 or 42′ or the carrying-out transfer objective bodyconveyance unit 44. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 11, the finger-like grasper68 of the carrying-in transfer objective body conveyance unit 42 or 42′grasps the frame portion (indicated by a reference numeral 50 a in FIG.10) of the main frame 50A of the holder 50 opposite to the frame portionholding the transfer objective body 2 while the finger-like grasper 68of the carrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit 44 graspsthe side frame portion (indicated by a reference numeral 50 a′ in FIG.10) of the main frame 50A of the holder 50 on the side of holding thetransfer objective body 2. This is why the finger-like graspers 68 ofthe carrying-in transfer objective body conveyance unit 42 or 42′ andthe carrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit 44 should notinterfere with each other when the transfer objective body 2 isdelivered from the carrying-in transfer objective body conveyance unit42 or 42′ to the carrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit44.

The carrying-in transfer objective body conveyance unit 42 or 42′conveys the transfer objective body 2 at a higher velocity to thedelivery area where the transfer objective body 2 is delivered to thecarrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit 44 after thetransferred pattern is formed on the decoration face 2 a of the transferobjective body 2 by its liquid entrance. In the delivery area, thepattern-transferred objective body 2B is delivered from the carrying-intransfer objective body conveyance unit 42 or 42′ to the carrying-outtransfer objective body conveyance unit 44.

Thereafter, the carrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit 44conveys the transfer objective body holder 50 holding thepattern-transferred objective body 2B while raising up the holder withsuch an appropriate liquid take-off pose as the transfer objective body2B leaves the liquid and delivers the transfer objective body holder 50to the suspending member 38 which is located at the carrying-outposition on the conveyance passage 40 by hooking the holder 50 onto thesuspending member 38.

The liquid entrance pose (including the rolling, the oblique downwardmovement, the liquid entrance angle, the position of the liquid contactcenter line, the vertical lowering and so on) set for every section ofthe particular transfer objective body 2A and the liquid take-off posefor the pattern-transferred objective body 2B are stored in the recordmedium 70 as the pose of the transfer objective body 2 (positioninformations) together with the liquid entrance velocity and the liquidtake-off velocity thereof. These stored data are input to the transferobjective body conveyance control means 76.

The transfer objective body conveyance control means 76 controls drivingthe carrying-in transfer objective body conveyance unit 42 or 42′grasping the transfer objective body 2A so that it enters the liquidsurface 12A within the transfer bath 16 with the predetermined liquidentrance pose and at the predetermined liquid entrance velocity forevery section in accordance with the carrying-in record data.

Accordingly, the transfer objective body 2A enters the liquid 12 withinthe transfer bath 16 with the previously stored liquid entrance pose andat the previously stored liquid entrance velocity for every sectionthereof.

The transfer objective body conveyance control means 76 controls thecarrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit 44 so that thepattern-transferred objective body 2B leaves the liquid with thepredetermined liquid take-off pose and at the predetermined liquidtake-off velocity in accordance with the carrying-out record data fromthe record medium 70.

The transfer objective body conveyance control means 76 controls thecarrying-in transfer objective body conveyance unit 42 or 42′ so thatthe liquid entrance pose and the liquid entrance velocity vary smoothlybefore and after the liquid entrance is switched from one section of thetransfer objective body 2 to the adjacent section thereof by taking asmooth command on the carrying-in transfer objective body conveyanceunit 42 or 42′ of the transfer objective body conveyance means 20.

This smooth command prevents the transfer objective body 2 from beingconveyed in a stepped manner due to abrupt variation in the liquidentrance pose and the liquid entrance velocity for every sectionwhenever the sections of the transfer objective body 2 are switched.

The smoothing program will be obtained by a program prepared by a makerfor the multi-joint type manipulator (robot) as the transfer objectivebody conveyance unit.

An operation of transferring the print pattern from the transfer film 1onto the transfer objective body 2 and carrying out it by the apparatusof the invention will be schematically described with reference to FIGS.1 through 5.

The transfer objective body 2 is held on the transfer objective bodyholder 50 as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, which is suspended by thesuspending member 38 on the conveyance passage 40 shown in FIG. 1. Thetransfer objective body 2 is conveyed from the ultraviolet rayapplication treatment apparatus 78 to the transfer area of the transferbath 16 together with the movement of the suspending member 38.

The ultraviolet ray application treatment apparatus 78 serves to treatthe surface of the transfer objective body 2 for a purpose of improvinga close adhesion of the print pattern in case that the transferobjective body 2 is formed of materials such as polycarbonate,polycarbonate/polybutylene-terephthalate (PC/PBT) and so on to which theprint pattern is hard to be closely adhered. Such treatment is notrequired in case that the surface of the transfer objective body isformed of materials to which the print pattern can be closely adhered.

With the particular transfer objective body 2 being the fender panel ofthe small-sized car, the door panel thereof and the like, since, in manycases, these panels are formed of plastic materials such aspolycarbonate or polycarbonate/polybutylene-terephthalate (PC/PBT), theultraviolet ray application treatment is preferably made before thetransfer operation.

As the untransferred objective body 2A treated by the ultraviolet rayapplication reaches the inlet of the transfer bath 16 of FIG. 1, eitherof the carrying-in transfer objective body conveyance units 42 and 42′receives the transfer objective body 2A and starts the operation ofconveying it to the transfer bath 16 for a purpose of practicing thetransfer operation.

For example, supposed that the right-hand transfer objective bodyconveyance unit 42 as viewed from the upstream side of the transfer bath16 starts the operation, the arm group of the transfer objective bodyconveyance unit 42 (the multi-joint type manipulator 52) is extended tothe suspending member 38 located on the conveyance passage 40immediately above the transfer bath 16 by the horizontal turningmechanism 54 and the vertical turning mechanism 56 to grasp the frameportion 50 a of the main frame 50A of the transfer objective body holder50 by the finger-like grasper 68 (see FIG. 11) and to be operated so asto remove the transfer objective body holder 50 out of the hook-likehooking portion 48 a of the suspending frame 48.

Thereafter, the multi-joint type manipulator 52 of the transferobjective body conveyance unit 42 is so operated that the decorationface 2 a of the transfer objective body 2A gradually enters the liquid12 through the liquid entrance position Pt as indicated by an arrow A ofFIG. 2. The condition of the liquid entrance of the transfer objectivebody 2A is as already described with reference to FIG. 15 and thesucceeding figures.

As the transfer objective body 2A enters the liquid while it is pressedagainst the transfer film 1, the print pattern on the transfer film 1 istransferred onto the surface of the transfer objective body 2A under theliquid pressure. While the transfer objective body 2 is immersed intothe liquid, the main frame 50A of the transfer objective body holder 50only at the portion holding the transfer objective body 2 is immersedinto the liquid and the frame portion 50 a or 50 a′ grasping the fingergrasper 68 of the multi-joint type manipulator 52 of the transferobjective body conveyance unit 42 is never immersed into the liquid.

As the transfer objective body 2A is sequentially immersed into theliquid and the print pattern on the transfer film 1 is transferred ontothe transfer objective body 2A, the carrying-out transfer objective bodyconveyance unit 44 starts the operation of receiving the transferobjective body 2B. Since the finger-like grasper 68 of the carrying-outtransfer objective body conveyance unit 44 (the multi-joint typemanipulator 52) grasps the frame portion 50 a′ of the main frame 50 fromsideways, it never interferes with the carrying-in transfer objectivebody conveyance unit 42.

As the carrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit 44 graspsthe transfer objective body holder 50 holding the transfer objectivebody 2B in this manner, the finger-like grasper 68 of the carrying-intransfer objective body conveyance unit 42 releases the transferobjective body holder 50 and thus the transfer objective body 2B iscompletely delivered to the carrying-out transfer objective bodyconveyance unit 44.

The carrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit 44 receivingthe pattern-transferred objective body 2B conveys the transfer objectivebody 2B so that it sequentially leaves the liquid in the same directionas the untransferred objective body 2A enters the liquid.

Since the carrying-in transfer objective body conveyance unit 42delivering the transfer objective body 2 to the carrying-out transferobjective body conveyance unit 44 and being set free has nothing to dowith the transfer operation, it can return at higher velocity to theoriginal position of FIG. 1 where it is preparatory for the nexttransfer operation. While the pattern-transferred objective body 2 stilllies in the liquid even though the transfer operation of the transferobjective body 2 by the former carrying-in transfer objective bodyconveyance unit 42 is finished, another carrying-in transfer objectivebody conveyance unit 42′ similarly receives the next transfer objectivebody 2A and starts the operation of conveyance for practicing thetransfer operation therefor.

The carrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit 44 receivingthe pattern-transferred objective body 2B returns the transfer objectivebody holder 50 holding the transfer objective body 2B to the suspendingframe 48 suspended by the suspending member 38 advancing to the outletof the transfer bath 16 of FIG. 1.

The pattern-transferred objective body 2B thus returned to theconveyance passage 40 is conveyed to the washing step, the drying stepand the finishing step not shown whereby the transfer objective body 2(various panels of the car) having the transferred pattern is produced.

Although the condition in which the transfer objective body 2A entersthe liquid 12 within the transfer bath 16 by the carrying-in transferobjective body conveyance unit 42 or 42′ is described in details withreference to FIG. 15 and the succeeding figures, the position where thesurface of the transfer objective body 2A enters the liquid is so set atthe liquid entrance position Pt where the transfer film 1 gets swollenmost suitably for the transfer operation. The transfer objective bodyconveyance control means 76 controls to drive the multi-joint typemanipulator 52 of the carrying-in transfer objective body conveyanceunit 42 or 42′ so that the first liquid entrance point (not necessarilyon the center line of the liquid entrance) of the transfer objectivebody 2A grasped by the finger grasper 68 reaches the liquid entranceposition Pt.

As already described, the transfer objective body 2 enters the liquidwith such a pose as the three-dimensional decoration face thereofsequentially follows the transfer film 1 as if developed on the transferfilm 1 in the plane manner. In this case, the carrying-in transferobjective body conveyance unit 42 or 42′ conveys the transfer objectivebody 2A while the liquid entrance pose for every section of the transferobjective body 2A is controlled in accordance with the instructions fromthe transfer objective body conveyance control means 76.

Also, as already described, since the transfer objective body conveyancecontrol means 76 has the command for operating so that the portionbetween the adjacent sections enters the liquid in a smooth manner, theliquid entrance pose of the transfer objective body 2A as an example ofthe liquid entrance conditions is practically so controlled that itnever abruptly changes whenever the sections are switched, but graduallychanges.

In this manner, since the decoration face 2 a of the transfer objectivebody 2A has the print pattern transferred while it contacts the transferfilm 1 over the area corresponding to the area of the development faceof the decoration face 2 a, the print pattern on the transfer film 1 canbe transferred in good conditions onto the decoration face 2 a of thetransfer objective body 2A having a large-sized and complicatedthree-dimensional surface configuration.

Although, in the aforementioned embodiments, the print pattern istransferred onto the fender panel and the door panel of the car by theliquid pressure transfer, this invention can be also applied to otherpanels of the car, large-sized panels used in various field other thanthe car or any suitable articles.

In this manner, since the transfer objective body enters the liquidwhile the transfer face (the decoration face or the design face) of thetransfer objective body on which the print pattern should be transferredfollows the transfer film as if the transfer face is developed on thesurface of the transfer film in the plane manner, the decoration face ofthe transfer objective body is adhered to the surface of the transferfilm with the same area as the development face of the decoration face 2a. Thus, in case that the transfer objective body is a large-sized onesuch as the car panel of the fender or the like, for example, which hasa large radius of curvature, a large area of the curved portion andlarge areas of adjacent portions on both sides of the curved portioneven though it has a small value of angle variation of the curvedportion, the print pattern on the transfer film is transferred onto thedecoration face 2 a of the transfer objective body following thevariation in the surface configuration of the transfer objective body.Therefore, the surface portion of the transfer objective body and theprint pattern on the transfer film 1 which should be closely adhered tothe surface portion of the transfer objective body are closely adheredto each other as if they stick to each other in the plane manner withthe same area. This prevents the print pattern which should betransferred onto the transfer objective body from being extended andlighter in its color or prevented from being shrunk and darker in itscolor. This allows the print pattern to be satisfactorily attached allover the surface portions of the transfer objective body and thereforethe pattern transferred onto the transfer objective body 2 is maintaineduniformly and an intended expression of design can be obtained on thetransfer objective body 2.

The transfer objective body can follow the transfer film so as to beeasily developed thereon by rolling the transfer face of the transferobjective body on the surface of the transfer film when the transferobjective body enters the liquid or lowering the transfer objective bodyobliquely downward relative to the surface of the transfer film so as todraw the transfer film onto the transfer objective body when thetransfer objective body enters the liquid.

Although the transfer objective body enters the liquid with the liquidentrance angle suitable for following the surface of the transfer filmso as to be developed thereon in the plane manner, in case that an airpocket tends to be formed between the transfer objective body and thetransfer film on the liquid entrance of the transfer objective body suchas the decoration face of the transfer objective body has the dent, thetransfer objective body can enter the liquid with such a liquid entranceangle as the transfer face is opened whereby such an air pocket can beeffectively prevented.

In the liquid pressure transfer method according to the transfer filmfeeding system, as the transfer face of the transfer objective body isso controlled to enter the liquid at the substantially identicalposition (the liquid entrance position) in the direction in which theliquid flows, the transfer objective body is immersed into the liquid atthe position where the ink forming the print pattern on the transferfilm always has a uniform degree of re-tackiness and a uniform degree ofbeing swollen. This serves to improve the transfer characteristicstogether with setting the liquid entrance velocity.

As the liquid entrance conditions such as the liquid entrance pose(including the liquid entrance angle), the liquid entrance velocity orthe like are set for each of a plurality of sections into which thedecoration face of the transfer objective body is divided in generalconsideration of variation in the curvature in the conveyance directionof the transfer objective body and variation in the curve of the crosssection configuration, the liquid entrance conditions of the transferobjective body having a complicated three-dimensional surfaceconfiguration can be more easily set.

As the liquid entrance conditions such as the liquid entrance pose, theliquid entrance velocity and so on for every section of the decorationface of the transfer objective body are previously stored and the liquidentrance conditions of the transfer objective body are controlled inaccordance with the stored data, the liquid pressure transfer operationcan be promptly made for various transfer objective bodies by changingrecord medium in which the liquid entrance conditions of the transferobjective body for every kind thereof are previously stored or switchingareas in which they are stored.

As the transfer objective body conveyance means comprises the pluralityof carrying-in transfer objective body conveyance units disposed in amanner spaced to each other in the position adjacent to the transferobjective body liquid contact position of the transfer bath and at leastone carrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit disposed in theposition adjacent to the transfer objective body take-off position ofthe transfer bath, the plurality of the carrying-in the transferobjective body conveyance units can be alternately used for sequentiallycarrying in each one of the transfer objective bodies to enter theliquid at the liquid contact point so as to practice the transferoperation thereof and deliver the transfer objective body to thecarrying-out transfer objective body conveyance unit at the transferobjective body liquid take-off area.

Thus, one of the carrying-in transfer objective body conveyance unitswhich previously carries in the transfer objective body can be rapidlyreturned to the carrying-in start position while another carrying-intransfer objective body conveyance unit is carrying in the next transferobjective body to practice the transfer operation therefor within thetransfer bath and therefore, the number of the transfer objective bodiesonto which the print pattern should be transferred per unit time canincrease whereby the transfer operation can be more effectively made.

In particular, with the plurality of carrying-in transfer objective bodyconveyance units used, while one of the carrying-in transfer objectivebody conveyance units is carrying in the transfer objective body, theother carrying-in transfer objective body conveyance unit can bereturned at a higher velocity to the carrying-in start position.Therefore, the next transfer objective body can be carried in to thetransfer position succeeding the transfer operation of the formertransfer objective body now progressing. Thus, it will be noted that theprint pattern can be more effectively transferred onto more transferobjective bodies with a relatively shorter space by these carrying-intransfer objective body conveyance units.

Since the liquid pressure transfer article of the invention is producedby transferring the print pattern onto the decoration face of thetransfer objective body while the decoration face follows the transferfilm as if the decoration face is developed on the surface of thetransfer film in the plane manner, it can have a good appearance withoutdeforming the transferred pattern and changing the thickness of thecolor thereof even though it has a large sized and complicatedconfiguration.

UTILIZABILITY OF INDUSTRIES

As aforementioned, the method of the invention suitable for transferringthe print pattern on the surface of the transfer objective body such asa car panel including a fender, a door or the like having a transferface of large area and of a complicated surface configuration.

What is claimed is:
 1. A liquid pressure transfer method fortransferring a print pattern on a transfer film floating along a surfaceof a liquid within a transfer bath onto a three dimensional transferface of a transfer objective body comprising the steps of determining atwo dimensional imaginary development face corresponding with said threedimensional transfer face wherein local linear transverse dimensions ofthe two dimensional imaginary face approximate surface lengths of thethree dimensional transfer face at corresponding locations, immersingsaid transfer objective body into said liquid to follow said film so asto contact said print pattern with said three dimensional transfer face,controlling the posture of said body as it is immersed in said liquid tocause said three dimensional transfer face to contact an area of saidprint pattern on said film corresponding with said two dimensionalimaginary development face and transferring said area of said printpattern under liquid pressure to said three dimensional transfer face.2. A liquid pressure transfer method as set forth in claim 1, whereinthe step of controlling the posture of said body includes rolling saidthree-dimensional transfer face on said print pattern to contact saidtwo-dimensional imaginary face.
 3. A liquid pressure transfer method asset forth in claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the posture ofsaid body includes moving said three-dimensional transfer face obliquelydownward into said liquid to contact said print pattern along saidtwo-dimensional imaginary face.
 4. A liquid pressure transfer method asset forth in claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein said transfer objective bodyenters said liquid at an angle of from about 10° to about 170°.
 5. Aliquid pressure transfer method as set forth in claim 1, 2 or 3, whereinsaid transfer film is supplied by being fed at a predetermined velocitywithin said transfer bath and said transfer objective body enters saidliquid at a velocity corresponding to said feeding velocity of saidtransfer film.
 6. A liquid pressure transfer method as set forth inclaim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said transfer film is supplied by being fed ata predetermined velocity within said transfer bath and said transferobjective body enters said liquid at a generally constant liquid contactposition within said transfer bath.
 7. A liquid pressure transfer methodas set forth in claim 1, 2, 3 or 3, wherein said transfer objective bodyis divided into a plurality of sections corresponding with variations ina surface configuration of said transfer face and a liquid entranceposture of said transfer face of said transfer objective body is set foreach section.
 8. A liquid pressure transfer method as set forth in claim7, wherein one of said sections of said transfer objective body isformed for at least one three-dimensional configuration such as a dent,a protrusion or a change of radius of curvature of said threedimensional transfer face of said transfer objective body.
 9. A liquidpressure transfer method as set forth in claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein thestep of controlling the posture of said body as it is immersed in saidliquid includes changing said posture in accordance with previouslydetermined and stored liquid entrance conditions.
 10. A liquid pressuretransfer method as set forth in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said threedimensional transfer face to which said print pattern is transferred andadhered is sufficiently large to cause said transferred and adheredprint pattern to be extended or shrunk if said transfer is immersed intosaid liquid with a fixed posture.
 11. A liquid pressure transferapparatus for transferring a print pattern carried on a transfer filmonto a three dimensional transfer face of a transfer objective body,said apparatus comprising a transfer bath containing a liquid alongwhich said transfer film floats for contact with said transfer objectivebody, a transfer objective body conveyance means to convey said transferobjective body so that said three dimensional transfer face is immersedinto said liquid within said transfer bath to contact and transfer saidprint pattern onto said three dimensional transfer face using liquidpressure and thereafter to withdraw said three dimensional transfer facefrom said liquid in said transfer bath, and a transfer objective bodyconveyance control means to control the posture of said threedimensional transfer face as it enters the liquid to cause said threedimensional transfer face to follow said transfer film so as to contactan area of said print pattern comprising a two dimensional imaginarydevelopment face corresponding with said three dimensional transfer facewherein local linear transverse dimensions of the two dimensionalimaginary face approximate surface lengths of the three dimensionaltransfer face at corresponding locations.
 12. A liquid pressure transferapparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein said transfer objective bodyconveyance control means is constructed and arranged to control theposture of said three dimensional transfer face as it enters the liquidin accordance with the method of claim 2 or
 3. 13. A liquid pressuretransfer apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said transferobjective body conveyance means comprises a plurality of carrying-ntransfer objective body conveyance units disposed at a position adjacentto a liquid entrance point of said transfer objective body of saidtransfer bath and at least one carrying-out transfer objective bodyconveyance unit disposed at a transfer objective body take-off area ofsaid transfer bath.
 14. A liquid pressure transfer apparatus as setforth in claim 11 or 13, wherein said transfer objective body is a carpanel.
 15. A liquid pressure transfer article formed by transferring aprint pattern on a transfer film onto a transfer objective body by themethod set forth in claim 1, 2 or 3.